Blood Father (2016)

An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 17-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.

Director:

Jean-François Richet

Writers:

Peter Craig (screenplay by), Andrea Berloff (screenplay by)

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Link
Erin Moriarty	...	Lydia
Diego Luna	...	Jonah
Michael Parks	...	Preacher
William H. Macy	...	Kirby
Miguel Sandoval	...	Arturo Rios
Dale Dickey	...	Cherise
Richard Cabral	...	Joker
Daniel Moncada	...	Choop
Ryan Dorsey	...	Shamrock
Raoul Max Trujillo	...	The Cleaner (as Raoul Trujillo)
Brandi Cochran	...	Lydia's Mother
Katalina Parrish	...	Link's Client
Cameron Cipta	...	Freckles
Lucien Dale	...	Blonde Boy

Storyline

Self-exiled somewhere in the dusty landscapes on the outskirts of Los Angeles, John Link--a rugged former convict, and now, a tattoo artist struggling to stay sober--sees his quasi-orderly life turn upside down, when he receives a desperate phone call from his estranged daughter, Lydia. On the run from a ruthless Mexican drug cartel, John and Lydia must navigate through a dangerous world of frail allegiances and merciless cut-throats, as they seek shelter in an inhospitable city. Can the grizzled father save his teenage daughter from this nightmare?

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | father daughter relationship | on the run | ex con | religious faith | 

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Taglines:

A Father Makes His Own Justice

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language throughout and brief drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2008, Sylvester Stallone was planning to direct and star in an adaptation of Peter Craig's novel Blood Father.

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Goofs

Around 28 minutes when the trailer home is knocked on it's side, the pickup truck backs up and it (the pickup) has virtually no visible damage. This is not possible. At the very least, a headlight or some other plastic parts would be broken, or metal would be bent. This is obviously a mistake.

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Quotes

Lydia: I don't wanna say too much because you see my boyfriend wanted us to get married so I wouldn't be able to testify against him in court.
Link: Pretty romantic.

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Connections

Features Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

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Soundtracks

Bloody Corner
Interpreted by White & Spirit
Composed by Mike Kourtzer
(p) 2015 Cercle Rouge Productions
(c) Mike Kourtzer, all right reserved

User Reviews

Fans of the gritty, rougher Gibson should love this.

Jean-François Richet, French director of the highly acclaimed Mesrine bring to life the titular novel by Peter Craig, who also wrote the screenplays for both Mockingjays and Affleck's The Town. A story about an estranged daughter who's being hunted by the worse kinds has no choice but seek out her father, John Link who happens to be an ex-worse kind himself.

She's a runaway, mixes with the wrong crowd, the dangerous kind and ends up on the run. Link, her father, is an ex-con, recovering alcoholic and is her only hope and possibly she's his only chance of having any paternal responsibility. It's similar to Run All Night where a father will do whatever is absolutely necessary to keep their children alive.

I hope I look as good as Mel Gibson when I'm his age, looking awesome and comfortable with that worn, rugged, tough look still emanating to be a force to be reckoned with. John Link is like an amalgamation of many of Gibson's past characters bearing unintentional similarities to Lethal Weapon's Riggs, Payback's Porter, the gringo and even a little of Mad Max. One thing all these characters share is that Gibson psychotic rage and the controlled calmness he does when the sh*t is hitting not just the fan but everything else.

Kudos to newcomer Erin Moriarty who superbly acts up against Gibson as his endangered, rebellious troubled teen. Having briefly seen her only last month in Captain Fantastic, it's impressive to see her take on a role opposite Gibson. The volatile relationship between the two is captivating enforced by their quick-fire and sometimes amusing dialogue.

There's quite a supporting cast too with legendary Michael Parks, William H. Macy and the usual gang banger Richard Cabral. Parks is brilliant, having a presence of sinister grandeur and Raoul Max Trujillo stars as a Sicario which is a little ironic being that he also starred in last year's Sicario.

The violence is abrasive and abrupt but it's more dramatic with John Link battling and reconnecting with his old demons to secure the safety of his wanted daughter. There's nothing fancy, no spectacular sequences, but that gives the film a better sense of realism. There's a little of annoying shaky cam to begin with but that soon fades.

It's a riveting movie from start to finish and well paced. It's good to see Mel Gibson back on the big screen, and be on such good form too. Fans of the tougher, rougher Gibson shouldn't be disappointed.

Running Time: 9 The Cast: 8 Performance: 9 Direction: 8 Story: 8 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 7 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 5 for good ol' Gibson Would I buy the Bluray?: Yes.

78% 8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 August 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blood Father

Filming Locations:

New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,903,033

Company Credits

Production Co:

Why Not Productions, Wild Bunch

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1